What is Nonviolence?

What is Nonviolent Action?

Nonviolent action is a technique by which people who reject passivity and submission, and who see struggle as essential, can wage their conflict without violence. Nonviolent action is not an attempt to avoid or ignore conflict. It is one response to the problem of how to act effectively in politics, especially how to wield powers effectively.

The following introduction to Nonviolence was published by the Australian Victorian Association for Peace Studies and is now out-of-print. We reproduce it here with permission of the author. Although focused primarily on the Australian experience, and using Australian illustrative examples, the principles, approach and methodologies embodied are applicable globally, only the form of manifestation will change. Since it was written for a local audience, any reference to Christian peacemaking should be read as ‘faith based peacemaking’ as it is just as appropriate to make these comments about a faith based approach in other societies.